seed
by malladay
Summary: Several months after the group's first run in with Negan, they find themselves regaining hope, and Rick and Michonne begin to seriously consider what the future holds for them. Pregnancy Fic. M for language and sexual content.
1. Chapter 1

Michonne cracked the door of the bedroom open, peeking her head in to make sure mom and baby were awake. She was met with a tired looking, but beaming Maggie sitting alone in her bed cradling her newborn son.

"Hey," Michonne whispered warmly as she opened the door and motioned for Rick to enter with her. "We dropped everything and came over as soon as we heard the good news."

"You didn't have to do that," Maggie insisted in a quiet voice as she gently bounced the swaddled baby in her arms.

"Of course we did," Rick said as he leaned around Michonne to greet Maggie with a kiss on the forehead. "We wanted to check in on you and meet little Hershel."

Michonne sat on the edge of the bed, and placed a hand on her friend's outstretched leg as she hooked a finger into the blanket and moved it to catch a glimpse of the little man's face. His eyes were open, staring at at the adoring faces above him. Rick stood behind her, with a hand on her shoulder, as he quietly took in the moment.

"Oh Maggie," Michonne said breathlessly as she brought her hand to mouth. "He's perfect."

"He looks just like his daddy," Maggie said with a small, but genuine smile.

Michonne felt a hitch in her chest, and squeezed Maggie's leg a little tighter at the mention of their fallen friend. She and Rick had had many conversations about this incredibly bittersweet circumstance. It was close to his heart, as he knew the singular pain of welcoming a child into the world without his partner. He'd been checking in on Maggie up at the Hilltop as often as he could since they'd lost Glenn, supporting her in anyway possible. It was made abundantly clear to Dr. Carson that he was to send word to Alexandria the minute she went into labor so that he and Michonne could be there.

"And he'll be a good, strong man just like his father and grandfather, but especially like his mother," Rick assured her.

"He will be," Maggie said with resolve, though she felt her eyes beginning to sting with tears at their mention. " _We_ will be."

"You will," Michonne repeated. Nothing was promised these days, but Maggie was as tough as they came, and they had already been through so much together. What Michonne and Rick also knew, as parents themselves, is that her ferocity would only intensify since there was now nothing she wouldn't do to keep her herself and her son safe from harm. "How are you feeling?"

"Exhausted," she admitted. "I thought I knew what tired was, but the past three days have been trying. Thank God there were no complications, but it was a long labor and he's not a great sleeper."

"Is there anything we can do for you?" Rick asked from over Michonne's shoulder.

A smile began to spread on Maggie's face as she looked at two of the oldest friends she had left in this world who also happened to be two of the greatest parents and fiercest warriors she knew.

"You mind watching him for a little bit? Everyone has been so sweet, offering help anyway they can, but I haven't wanted to let him out of my sight for a second...which means I haven't had a proper shower in just as long…" She trailed off, slightly bashful about her admission and request despite the fact that they were family.

"You askin' us to babysit?" Rick asked with a grin.

"Yeah. I can't pay you much, but I promise he's good company."

Michonne looked up at Rick, and they exchanged a grin, before she held her hands out toward Maggie. Maggie gingerly passed her son over to Michonne, watching him adoringly, as she shifted him in her arms, cooing at him the entire time, until he was snug against her chest.

Once settled, Maggie eased her sore, tired body out of bed and gathered some supplies and a fresh change of clothes to take to the showers. She looked back at them once she reached the door. "Promise I won't take long!"

"Take all the time you need," Michonne said as she peeled her eyes away from the infant to look up at her friend.

Once Maggie left the room, Rick looked back down at Michonne as she looked down at the baby in her arms, then took a seat on the edge of the bed with her. She wore a soft smile on her face as she tilted the baby toward him so that he could get a better look, just as proud to show him off as if he was her own. She smoothed her fingers over the cowlick in the center of the thick mess of black hair atop his head, then over the light olive skin of his forehead as she rocked him gently in her arms.

Though Rick had seen her hold his daughter almost daily over the past year, and it never failed to warm his heart, seeing her with this infant was stirring a feeling in him that he'd never felt before. He and Michonne were just growing acquainted with each other when Judith was Hershel's age, so this was the first time he'd seen her with an infant; an infant who had dark hair and brown eyes like theirs would probably have if they were to have children of their own, at that. She glanced up at him to find him staring at her, and leaned into him slightly.

"You want to hold him? Uncle Rick?" She asked, teasing lightly.

"Sure."

"Maggie, you and the little guy wanna join us for lunch?"

The booming voice coming from the doorway caused Rick and Michonne to look up just as they were about to trade off babysitting duties, and they saw a familiar ginger entering the room.

"Well look what the cat dragged in. Shit, nice of you to say hello!" He exclaimed as he walked through to the door to shake Rick's hand. Sasha followed behind him, her tiny baby belly on display, and smiled at the familiar faces.

"We were gonna come find you two, just wanted to meet this one first," Michonne replied as she nodded down at the baby.

"Friend, you better watch out letting her hold that little guy, she'll be trying to get pregnant before you even get home tonight," Abe said with a wink as he shook Rick's hand then bent over to greet Michonne with a kiss on the cheek.

"Whatever," she said as she turned her head to rebuff his friendly gesture.

"Happened with this one here, and that was just from being around a pregnant lady for a few months," he said as he pointed at his pregnant wife.

"Don't even try to lie," Sasha said as placed on hand on her hip and the other instinctively went to her growing belly. "You were the one with baby fever."

"Darlin', I've had a lotta things, and that is not one of them." He tried to cover, but everyone in that room, knew better because as loose as his lips were when it came to crude jokes, they were just as loose when it came to talking about his love for Sasha.

"Mama Bear left you alone with him?" Sasha asked. Michonne and Rick nodded which caused her to give Abraham a look. "Well, I see where we rank..."

"You three wanna join us for some grub?" Abe asked.

"I think we should probably stay put," Michonne answered before looking at Rick to see if he agreed. "I don't want her to worry if she comes back and finds us gone."

Abraham began to snicker at her answer. "Oh, I see what's going on here," he said pointing at Rick as he raised a suggestive eyebrow. "She don't even wanna wait to get started. Well, don't let us hold you back, please, go right ahead!"

Michonne rolled her eyes, and Rick began to laugh uncomfortably.

"Please don't mind him," Sasha said as she wrapped her hands around his arm and began to pull him towards the door. "We're going to grab some lunch. Come join us when Maggie gets back?"

"Sure thing," Rick said.

Once they closed the door behind them, Rick sighed and returned his attention to Michonne.

"Let's try this again, you wanna hold him, Uncle Rick?" she asked with a smile.

"Of course, Auntie Michonne," he answered. They were being intentionally corny with their titles, but each actually relished the feeling it gave that their extended family was growing.

She placed the baby in his arms, and watched in awe as he took so naturally to him. It was one of the first things she's ever noticed about him, and still one of her favorite things to behold. The hardened warrior and leader had the most gentle way with his children. Underneath it all, he was a doting father and, as it turned out, uncle.

"Hey there Hershel," he said in a hushed voice as he slipped his finger under one of the baby's tiny hands. "We're awfully glad to meet you."

"So glad," Michonne stressed from his side as she gazed at the baby.

"I know I'm not your dad or your Grandpa Hershel...even if my beard is lookin' more and more like his everyday…" Michonne chuckled and nudged him with her arm. "But they were two of the greatest men I've know, and I'd do anything for them, so if there's anything you or your mama need, I'm here."

"And so am I," Michonne agreed as she wiped a tear out of the corner of her eye.

"He's something, isn't he?" Rick marveled thinking of all of the trauma and loss this perfect little baby had experienced before he had even entered the world.

"He is," she said with a smile. "Judith is going to freak out the first time she meets him," she mused.

"She's not gonna want to let him go," he said as he began to laugh. "Her very own real life doll."

"Exactly."

"You know, Abraham got it backwards," he said as he look up at her.

"What do you mean?" she asked as she furrowed her brow.

"You're not the one we have to worry about…"

She scrunched her nose, still confused by what he meant, until it suddenly hit her and caused her brows to lift slightly. "Really?"

"Seeing you with this baby? Yeah...I never thought much about it because we already have a family, but that doesn't mean it can't grow or change."

"It doesn't. This world is tricky, though. Things are good now, but they weren't seven months ago, and might not be in another few months. It's hard to tempt fate when you don't have to."

"That's true. But imagine if we hadn't taken that leap together, think of everything we'd have missed out on."

Michonne smiled at the thought of the two of them still living together without acting on their feelings for each other. "You really think we'd still be just friends?"

"Honestly?" Rick asked as he began to laugh. "No. This was a long time comin'. We'd have burst by now if we were still holding out."

She threw her head back, laughing at the image. The sexual tension and close proximity surely would have killed one or both of them if they'd waited any longer to get together. She put her hand on his back and kissed the side of the forehead.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

"If the world was different, I swear I'd have at least three or four of your babies," she assured him.

"You would?" he asked.

"Absolutely. I love raising a family with you. It's just feels right, completely natural and easy. And I'm so thankful that we have Carl and Judith, but I'd be lying if I said I'd never dreamed about you and me adding to that. But that's all it's ever been...a dream and not a necessity, so I just let it be."

"I wouldn't even think about doing it again with anyone else but you."

"Same. That's how safe I feel with you. That I could even open myself up to this again is just…" She trailed off and shook her head then leaned it on his shoulder.

"It's everything," he finished.

"It's everything."

He nuzzled his head against hers and placed a kiss on her forehead. "Whether we decide to do it or not, I'm glad we're talking about it."

"Me too," she whispered. "Me too."


	2. Chapter 2

_Thank you to those who began reading this story. It is continuing as a series of short chapters telling a story that will be pretty obvious after this one if it wasn't already. I read the graphic novels, and I wanted to explore that two year time jump after the war with the Saviors, but with the TV characters._

"To what do I owe this pleasure?"

Negan got up from the cot in the corner of his cell, and walked over to the bars to get closer to the woman who had entered dark basement that had been his home for the better half of the past year.

"Where's the fat one?" His eyes followed her as she silently walked across the room and placed the tray carrying his dinner on a stool in the corner. The only light came from a small lamp in his cell, but that didn't stop him from appreciating her ass as she bent over. "She's not as nice to look at, but she's a fuck of a lot better at conversation than you are."

She turned around, obviously not amused by his antics with her blank stare, and handed him an apple and a sandwich through the bars.

"She has the night off," Michonne said finally. "And her name is Olivia, you know that. Pass me the pitcher."

She may not have been amused by him, but he was more than charmed by her and he planned to make the most of the few minutes he got to be in her company. He tossed his dinner on the bed, then fetched the empty pitcher from the small table in the corner.

"You still mad at me after all this time?" he asked as he held the pitcher through the bars.

She reached for it, but he held onto it to keep her close. She yanked it from his hand and walked to the sink on the other side of the basement.

"Even Rick at least looks me in the eye, cracks a smile everyone once in awhile. Speaking of, how are things going with the lovebirds? Still fucking daily or have we moved to once a week now?"

She ignored him as she turned the faucet up all the way hoping to drown out the sound of his voice.

"Judging by your mood, I'm gonna guess the latter. Monogamy is a bitch like that...that's why it never worked for me. You know, I have needs, you have needs, we could work a little something out."

He watched her from behind as she turned off the faucet and took a moment to straighten her posture before she turned around to face him.

"Yeah, you're thinkin' about it, I see you over there," he called out as she began to walk toward him. "I'm already under your skin. You're having dirty dreams about me at night and seeing my face when you fuck Rick. You have to act like you hate me so you don't give in."

She walked up to the cell, shoved the pitcher through the space between two bars and into his chest causing some of the water to lap over the sides and splatter on his shirt.

"No. I hate you," she clarified with a steely tone and stare. "I hate you for what you did to my friends, and I hate you for being one more asshole who tried to take this world for himself instead of rebuilding it. The only fantasies I have about you are of driving my sword through your chest and ending it all."

"Then why don't you?" he asked with a smirk.

"Because we're trying to build something here." She paused for a moment before continuing. "We already have."

She didn't wait to hear his response because it didn't matter. Nothing he said mattered behind those bars because words were all he had left. They took his people and his power, and now he was their prisoner. She turned her back and climbed up the stairs that led to the exit. She opened the door of the dark, dank basement and walked out into the the streets of Alexandria where the late afternoon sun was still shining and her friends and neighbors were out either heading home from work or enjoying the fresh air. With her final duty taken care of, her eyes focused in on the yellow door of her two story gray house just across the street and down the block. She used to hate it when they had first arrived, but now it made her smile; the bright color seeming apropos for the happy family life she had inside.

"Mommy!"

Michonne hadn't even crossed the threshold before her presence was noted by her two year old who was sitting in the middle of their living room with what looked to be every toy she owned scattered around her.

"Baby girl!" she greeted as she stepped in and closed the door behind her. "Are you playing all by yourself?"

"No." She wrinkled her nose and picked up the rag doll that was lying face down in front of her. "Dolly."

"Silly me," Michonne said as she absently tapped the side of her head with her hand for effect. "Where's Carl?"

"Over here," the deep voice announced. She walked around the corner to find him sitting at the end of their kitchen island with the insides of an old CB radio spread out in front of him.

"Hey. You still working on that?" she asked as she came up beside him.

"Yeah, but I think I'm almost there. You home for the night?"

"Yeah."

"I'm gonna go over to Eugene's to get some help then," he said, finally looking up at her.

"But what about dinner?" He was well on his way to adulthood, but that didn't mean her maternal instincts were dulling as he grew.

"I'll eat with him. He always has good stuff."

"The man lives off of beef jerky and homemade potato chips," she pointed out as she put her hands on her hips.

"Yeah, the good stuff," he teased with a grin.

She shook her head and pointed to the door. "Go."

He gathered the parts of the radio off the counter and headed for the door leaving Michonne alone in the kitchen. She stared at the refrigerator trying to picture what was inside that she could whip up easily.

"Mommy play?" Judith asked in a hopeful little voice from the living room.

"Mommy has to make dinner," Michonne explained apologetically as she sighed. The combination of the disappointed look on Judith's face and her lack of desire to cook made her change her mind, though. "...but we can play for a little bit."

Much to Judith's delight, Michonne lowered herself to the floor, and sat cross-legged in front of her. There wasn't so much playing as Judith placing, taking, and replacing a series of toys in Michonne's hands as she tried to decide what to do in her state of toddler indecisiveness. Michonne didn't mind, though, because she loved this little girl to pieces and always valued these little moments together at the end of her day. She had a plastic horse in one hand and a wand in the other when she heard the door open and the familiar click of boots soon after.

"Is that daddy?" Michonne asked in an animated voice.

Judith rose to her feet from her crouched position to get a better look.

"Yeah!" She exclaimed once she saw her father's back as he took his boots off in entryway.

"Are those my girls?" he asked before turning around to see for himself.

"Yeah!" she answered excitedly, dancing in place with giddiness.

He made his way over to where they sat on the floor, and lowered himself down with a groan. Judith crawled into his lap and threw her arms around his neck to welcome him home with a hug.

"Hey sweetheart," he said as she wrapped his arms around her for a hug and kissed the top of her head before looking over at Michonne. "Hey baby," he greeted as he kissed her cheek.

"How was your day?"

"Good. Met with Gregory and Jesus to update the trade agreement since we're coming into growing season. Maggie joined us which was good to see."

"That is," she replied, genuinely happy to hear that her friend was getting back to herself. "How's Hershel?"

"The kid's growin' like a weed. He's a healthy, happy baby."

"Baby?" Judith asked, as she squirmed in her father's arms to turn to face her mother, her interest piqued by the "B" word.

"Yes, Baby Hershel," Michonne said. "Remember we talked about him?"

She nodded and settled back down in her father's lap, fiddling with the hem of his shirt as the grown ups caught up with each other.

"Sasha and Abe say hello. She's getting bigger by the day, too."

"I hope you didn't say that to her," Michonne said as she winced.

"I know better than that. She's all belly anyway."

"Still," Michonne warned.

"How was your day?"

"Uneventful," she said with a well timed yawn. "Just like the day before and the day before that. There seems to be a cold going around, though, both Olivia and Rosita called out from duty today."

"Do I need to go take care of Negan then?" he asked since Olivia was tasked with bringing him his meals, and few others in the community wanted anything to do with him. It was out of sight, out of mind as far as most of them were concerned.

"No, I handled it."

"You didn't have to, I know you-"

"Not now," she said as she reached over to rub Judith's head. "You hungry?" she asked in that put-on happy voice they often used around Judith.

"Starving," he said in that same tone. "In fact, I'm so hungry, I think I'm gonna have a snack right now."

Before she even realized what was happening, her father had scooped an arm under her legs and lifted her up to his face where he began to playfully munch on her stomach while she wriggled in his arms and devolved into a fit of belly laughs.

"No, daddy, no!"

* * *

Michonne, dressed in her light blue cotton spaghetti strap nightgown, was already sitting in bed reading when Rick walked out of the bathroom. As he got ready for bed himself, he continued to sneak glances at her. She had seemed subdued the entire night, and he was still left wondering if something had transpired between her and the prisoner that he knew she purposely kept her distance from.

"You sure you're OK?" he asked as he crawled into bed.

"Yeah," she answered without looking up from her book.

"Then why are you so quiet?"

"I'm not." She closed her book and placed it on the nightstand then looked to find him watching her with concern in his eyes. "I'm fine," she assured him. "In a strange way it was good that I saw him today. It reminded me of how far we've come. How we came through like we always do."

He nodded, wanting to believe what she was telling him, then placed his hand on her shoulder.

"Then why so tense?" he asked as he moved his fingers back and forth over the tight muscles in her upper back and neck.

She sighed, and brought her hand up to her shoulder to still his. She clasped his hand and then brought their joined hands down to rest between them.

"Because I know deep down that we really do have choices now and decisions to make," she admitted. "We took down our biggest threat, and here we are with our family, our community, and the support of others. We've said this before and been wrong, but this could really be it. This might be what the rest of our lives look like."

It was hard for her to be this hopeful with everything she had been through from losing Andre to almost losing her home and family several months ago. You had to have hope for some kind of future to make it through the day, have a reason to live; but to be too hopeful seemed naive and even dangerous. She knew, though, that she could always share her hopes and fears with this man without shame.

"It might be," he allowed. "Believe me, I'd want nothing more than that, and I'll do whatever it takes to keep it that way." He clasped her hand tighter, and she did so in turn.

"Do you really think we can do it?" she asked, not even needing to name _it_ because they both knew exactly what _it_ was.

"I do," he promised, "but I also need you to know that I love the family we have and would be just as happy if that that never changed."

She looked down at their intertwined hands, contemplating how strong they were together and the kind of life those hands had built for themselves and others. They had never been complacent when it came to their survival, so why should they be when it came to their life?

"I'm not sure if I would be," she said quietly as she looked up.

He released her hand and put his arm around her shoulder, drawing her against his chest, then wrapping his other arm around her.

"Don't be scared if this is what you want," he whispered into the skin of her forehead before lightly kissing that spot. He tightened his embrace hoping to make her not only hear, but feel his promise of security. "We have each other, and like you said, we always come through."

He could feel her nod against his chest as she took a few deep, quiet breaths before speaking again.

"I'm ready."


	3. Chapter 3

_Thanks again for those who read the last chapter and left such nice feedback. To the guest, I completely agree with you that there's apprehension all around when it comes to having a baby under these circumstances. That was really what inspired me to write this short series (and it is short, hence the short chapters). There's so much light in their world, but there's still darkness, and Michonne's exchange with Negan was meant to show that juxtaposition. I didn't mean to write Rick as ambivalent about having more children, in fact, he's the one who started the conversation. I saw it more as him giving Michonne the space to make her decision. He would continue being happy either way. Sorry to be long winded. I just think it's an interesting topic to delve into, so I loved seeing your thoughts on it. Thank you!_

"I'm close," he warned in a strained whisper as his body slid back and forth over hers with each thrust.

A smiled flashed over Michonne's face at the unnecessary heads-up. _Old habits die hard_ she thought to herself of the routine they'd had for the past several months to avoid the very thing they were trying to do right now. She opened her mouth to tease him, but before the words could come out, his hand slipped between their bodies and found its way to clit causing her to gasp with pleasure instead. Her insides clenched around him causing him to moan and thrust harder as she raised her hips to his, driven by the need to feel everything that she could; her body desiring more and deeper. Each response to the other's pleasure only spurred the other on, causing their arousal to build and build until they reached their peak. And with that, their first attempt was complete.

Michonne's head fell back on the pillows, and Rick collapsed on top of her, burying his face in the crook of her neck as his back heaved up and down with each heavy breath he took.

"My God, Michonne," he murmured into the skin of her neck, not only physically, but emotionally sated by what they had just done together.

He kissed her neck then cheek before propping himself up slightly to see her face. He was happy to see that she was lying there looking as content as he felt.

"I'm almost afraid to move," he admitted self-consciously. "I don't want to mess anything up."

"I think you've done your part," Michonne said with a small laugh as she smoothed her hand over his forehead to set the curls that had fallen over his brow back into place. "And done it well," she added for his sake.

With her reassurance, he pulled out and rolled off of her and onto his side to face her. She started to roll onto her side, as well, but stopped when he placed his hand on her waist.

"Aren't you supposed to stay on your back afterwards? Put your feet up or something?"

"Put your feet up? In the air?" she asked as she wrinkled her nose, skeptical of the claim. "No."

"I feel like I've heard that before. In a magazine or the news maybe?"

"I don't know…"

"Well, how about you just stay put for a few minutes?" he suggested as a compromise.

"Sure."

She rolled back onto her back and clasped her hands over her belly, biding her time for the next few minutes in the off chance he was correct, though, it hadn't taken this kind of careful attention for her to get pregnant with Andre. It was just the opposite, actually.

Her eyes drifted from the ceiling to her bedmate as a pillow entered the periphery of her vision. He had taken one of the pillows from his side of the bed, and she quickly figured out whwhat he was planning to do with it.

"Rick."

"Humor me. Just this once," he said with an adorable grin that she couldn't resist.

" _Just_ this once," she conceded as she lifted her hips from the bed so that he could place the pillow under her. "We can't be doing this every time."

"I know, but there's no harm in trying. It may be a an old wives' tale, but we have no way of figuring that out now."

"True." She grimaced as she tried to get comfortable again with her pelvis now tilted upward like some move she used to do in yoga. "And this is the first time I've actually _tried_ to get pregnant, so I'm no expert."

"Me either," he admitted.

She raised her eyebrows, and turned her head to look at him. "Really?"

"Yeah. Lori and I knew we wanted kids, but she got pregnant with Carl sooner than we'd planned. A lot sooner. We were pretty sure he was a honeymoon baby," he added with a grin.

"No," Michonne said with amused disbelief. "I didn't know that actually happened."

"Well," he said as he shrugged a shoulder. "There's living proof right down the hall."

"I guess I shouldn't be so surprised. Andre was a vacation baby." Rick listened intently. He knew Michonne had never married Mike, and assumed Andre wasn't planned, but he had never asked. "We went on a two week vacation to Europe, and I forgot to pack my pills. Too much cava led to some poor judgment on our part, and the rest is history. Turned out to be the best thing I ever did," she said, reminiscing with a far away smile.

"Same here," he agreed as he stroked his hand over her belly. "Goes to show that maybe we don't always know what's best for us."

"Yeah." She patted her hand over his where it rested on her belly, then began to drift off a little as they laid there, the long day and the let down after sex finally getting to her.

"So you never thought about having another baby after Andre?" he asked, rousing her from her sleepy state.

"No," she said with a small yawn. "Not at the time anyway. I worked full time, and he was still a toddler so that was all I could handle...then everything happened. What about you?"

"I did. Once Carl was in kindergarten, I finally felt like we were in a place where we could financially, but Lori didn't want to. The when she did, I didn't. We were never on the same page after that."

She was wide awake now, her interest in their honest conversation outweighing any tiredness she felt. There were so few unknowns between them, and given the fact that they were trying to have a child together, it seemed that these were the discussions they should finally be having. There was always something to be learned from the past.

"What about with Judith?" she asked quietly.

He paused for a moment as his mind went back to the few weeks they'd spent on Hershel's farm and all that had transpired there. Michonne knew about Shane, and she knew that Judith may not share Rick's blood, but they had never discussed how that was for him. All she knew was that by the time she met him, Judith was his.

"Well, of course we hadn't planned it. And I'm not sure if I ever truly knew how she felt about it except for scared. Terrified. We couldn't really talk at that point, not honestly at least." There was a hint of pain in his voice when he talked about that time in his life, but at least he finally could. "I was scared. Angry," he admitted. "But I believed we could handle it. Or at least that we had to try."

"You didn't have any other choice at that point," she empathized.

"No, and I was never going to know my place in it all, so I had to make a decision. If there was a chance she was mine, I had to go with it. All I knew for certain was that my wife was having a child, and my son was going to have a little brother or sister...and I'd do anything for my son."

She knew this man well enough to have predicted this answer, but he still had her complete attention as he spoke. They shared so much, but when it came to talking about himself, Rick was often a man of few words, even with her. She never took offense, though, knowing that it was a part of who he was: a leader, father, and lover who was always thinking of others before himself.

"So it was for him…" he trailed off and a small grin began to form on his serious face. "And then it became for me."

Michonne began to smile with him. When you stripped everything away; all of the pain, drama, and questions, all that was left was an innocent little girl in need of love and protection. There was no decision to be made. She was Rick's and now Michonne's, and with Carl, they were as real a family as any.

"She is impossible not to love," Michonne bragged, proud parent that she was.

"She's impossible all right," he teased.

"Now I know you're not serious or else we wouldn't be doing this," she said with an arched eyebrow.

"No, I love her to pieces, but you have to admit she did start to pick up a little attitude right around the time you moved in with us…" he said dryly.

"Right around the time she started walking and talking, you mean?" she challenged.

"Timing is curious is all…"

His accusation earned a response by way of Michonne pulling the pillow out from beneath her and tossing it onto his face.

"With that, I think it's time to call it a night," she said, holding back a smile, as she rolled onto her side and fluffed her pillows as she settled in for bed.

Undeterred, Rick removed the pillow from his face, and placed it right behind her head then cozied up to her, pressing his body against her back and draping an arm over her waist. His hand went to her belly and absently stroked it as they both drifted off to sleep in the comfort of each other's arms. They had everything they needed inside these walls: family, love, laughter, and hope.


	4. Chapter 4

"You sure I can't convince you to take a car today?"

Michonne brought a handful of water to her face to rinse the last of the soap off, then turned the faucet off, and straightened up. She dabbed her face with a towel and opened her eyes, looking into the bathroom mirror and making eye contact with Rick who was standing in the entrance of their master bathroom.

"Still sure," she said as she opened a bottle of moisturizer. "We have to lead by example."

"Yeah, I know," he said as he walked up behind her, still watching her face in the mirror as she got ready for the day. "It's just been a while since you've been on a horse, and it's a long trip to make by yourself with one you're not familiar with."

"Rick."

She placed the bottle back on the counter and sighed, exasperated by him second guessing her even if it was well intentioned. They had procured a few horses from the Kingdom to aid in transportation since fuel was dangerously low, and they had to make the transition at some point.

"Fine," he relented. He wrapped his arms around her waist and dropped his chin onto her shoulder. "Please be careful. And tell Carol and Morgan I say hello. Ezekiel, too."

"I will," she promised. As he went to give her a goodbye kiss on the cheek, she pulled her head away and wrinkled her nose. With his nearness had come a strong scent that was overwhelming her senses, making her feel like she was suffocating. "Are you wearing cologne?"

"Uh, no," he answered, wrinkling his nose, as well. "You know I don't wear cologne."

If she didn't know better, she would have sworn he had bathed in cheap drugstore cologne; the smell was so potent and off-putting to her that it literally made her sick to her stomach.

"Is that a new deodorant?"

Rick lifted his elbow and took a quick sniff to double check given how disgusted she seemed. It was definitely the faint, soapy scent he was accustomed to.

"Same one I've been using for the past few months," he confirmed.

"It's just...strong," she explained as diplomatically as possible, though she was still grimacing.

She watched as Rick dropped his arms from her waist and disappeared below the counter as he crouched down, opened the cabinet door, and began rummaging through their toiletries. When he reappeared at her side, he held a home pregnancy test in his hand that he offered to her.

"What? No," she said shaking her head, and refusing to take it from him.

"You wanna make a bet?" he smirked.

"You know, for a man with two kids, you have some crazy ideas about pregnancy."

"Do not," he defended. "Just take it."

He offered it to her again, and this time she took it from his hand, but set it down on the counter between them.

"It's way too early," she explained gently as she placed her hand over his on the countertop. "We just started trying. And in the off chance I am pregnant, I doubt it would even show up yet. These things are hard to come by," she continued as she glanced down at the test, "so let's just wait until we have a better reason to take it."

He looked down at the test, as well, and nodded. He couldn't argue with her reasoning, and knew she was right even though his gut was telling him otherwise.

"OK. But in the off chance you are, will you please just take a car?"

She dropped her head and chuckled uncomfortably at his earnest concern, then looked back up at him with a soft smile. She tightened her grip on his hand just a little more.

"Rick...when I was pregnant with Andre, my doctor told me that I could continue doing whatever activities I was doing before I got pregnant for as long as I was able. Running, yoga, whatever. That's the truth, straight from a doctor's mouth. You're going to have to relax...and trust me."

"I do," he assured her quietly as he looked into her eyes.

"Good," she said with a nod and smile. She let go of his hand and patted his backside, purposely trying to break the serious mood that had taken over. "Now you better get going. I always start my rounds by 7:00 AM. People are going to think you're slacking."

He chuckled and shook his head at her then leaned again for a quick peck on the lips. "Love you," he said as he pulled away.

"Love you, too."

She smiled and took a moment to watch him walk away, then picked up the home pregnancy test and tossed it back under the sink before resuming her morning routine.

* * *

"Morning."

Negan opened his eyes at the sound of voice coming from the basement entrance, and rubbed his eyes then sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the cot.

"Breakfast in bed served by the man himself. The accommodations are shit, but the service is fucking first class."

 _Breakfast in bed my ass_ Rick thought to himself. He walked up to the bars of the cell, and held out the bowl of lukewarm oatmeal for his prisoner, requiring him to get up from his cot to get it himself. He took the bowl in his hand and stirred the contents then took a bite.

"Saw the missus last week," he said through a mouthful of the pasty mix. "She has not let herself go one bit. Still hates my fucking guts, though. Think you could put in a good word for me?"

"I don't think so," Rick said flatly. "Apple or peach?"

"Peach for the peach that I am," he joked with a crooked grin as he took the piece of fruit from Rick's hand.

Rick turned away to fill up a glass of water for him, unwilling to indulge Negan in any of his antics this morning, which only made the man try harder.

"You know I was thinking...you ever run across that group that was hold up in a motel about, oh say, forty miles or so west of here?" He watched Rick as he took a bite of his peach, slurping up the juice before it could roll down the side of his mouth.

"No," Rick said as he turned to bring the glass of water over.

"Mean sons of bitches," Negan mused. "Even by my standards. You should keep an eye out for them. If you take me out, I'd gladly show you where they are."

"That's not gonna happen," Rick said, shooting him down without giving it a second thought.

"You're really gonna keep me in this fucking place forever?"

"Yes, I am."

Rick stood at arm's distance from the cell, staring the man straight in the eyes as he placed his hands on his hips, the fingertips of his right hand coming to rest on the grip of his Colt Python. Negan took another bite of his peach, and a smug grin formed on his face as he began to chuckle at Rick's naïveté.

"You really think putting away one so-called bad guy is gonna keep you safe forever? Fucking newsflash, a psycho is born everyday. Right now some disgruntled son of a bitch is stewing in some other community, maybe even yours, just waiting for his chance to break out and take over," he explained as he rested his arms between the bars. "If you want my opinion, I'd place my bets on that guy with the mullet here. But me?" he asked as he pointed emphatically to himself. "You already know me! You let me out, and I'll go back to keeping all those other mother fuckers in check, and I will leave you be. What do you say?"

"Eat your breakfast," Rick replied, jutting his chin toward the cooling bowl of oatmeal. "Someone will be back at noon with your lunch."

"You think about it. I'll be here," he called out hopefully as he watched Rick walk away. "Fucking climbing the walls," he muttered under his breath as he backed up and sat down on the cot to finish his oatmeal and peach.

Rick stepped outside and closed the door, then stopped on the doormat, his hand still on the knob. He'd spent more than enough time around bad guys, both before and after the turn, and one thing he had learned is that they would say anything because they had nothing left to lose. It normally rolled right off his back, but there were times it stuck; got under his skin and stayed there for a few days, making him question the very things he thought he knew.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath of the cool morning air then opened them as he exhaled; his vision of the sunlight shining down on his community was real. This and his family were reality, and he would summon this image every time Negan's words came to mind.

* * *

"Easy, Cookie," Michonne said as she pulled on the reins and patted the horse's neck as they approached the small creek running parallel to the road they'd been traveling on for the last couple of hours.

"We're gonna get you some water, girl," she said quietly as she dismounted the beautiful black mare. So far, they were getting along famously on their first journey together. She smiled as she ran her hand over the strip of white that ran between her forehead and muzzle. Poor thing had been named by her two year old daughter, and was thus subject to one of the few words in her vocabulary. "We're gonna get you a new name soon. I promise."

She patted the horse one more time before walking down to the creek to fill up her canteen so that she could hydrate while the horse did. She had been away for just a few seconds when she heard the horse begin to snort and neigh as she scuffed her hooves against the forest floor.

"Hold on. Me, then you," Michonne assured her as she finished filling her bottle.

She stood from her squatted position then looked back at the mare who was still agitated, then to her right to find the reason why. Three walkers were closing in on them slowly, but surely.

"Easy, easy," she said trying to soothe the mare as she came closer grab her katana from the saddlebag.

As the groans of the walkers grew louder the closer they came, though, the horse spooked and bucked just as Michonne reached for her sword, knocking her to the ground and tossing her weapon out of reach. She turned to reach for it, but before she knew it, one of the walkers was descending on her while the others went toward the horse. She pressed one hand against its chest to keep him away, but his hands on her arms made it difficult to pull out her gun which was now wedged between her hip and the ground because of the scuffle. She tried to lift her hips, but she couldn't get enough traction as her feet kept slipping in the soft sand. With no other choice, she coiled her arm back, bringing his face close to hers, then pushed the walker off of her to give her enough time to roll to her side to grab her gun and fire off a quick head shot before he could make his way back to her. She then sprinted to her sword and sliced clean through the necks of the other two just before they reached the mare.

She grabbed the reins to keep Cookie from running, and did a quick check of their surroundings. Once she knew they were in the clear, she dropped her sword to the ground and allowed her hands to drop to her knees as bent over to catch her breath. Once the adrenaline began to wear off, she pushed herself up and reached out to pet the horse and calm her down.

"Shh, shh. We're OK. We're OK," she whispered quietly as her right hand moved over the mare's body.

Just as she began the feel the horse calm under her touch, her eyes drifted downward to a flash of red on her right arm. She hadn't felt a thing, maybe because of the adrenaline still coursing through her veins, but there was fresh blood streaming down her arm, and her heart instantly dropped in her chest.

* * *

Michonne opened the front door of her house to find Rick and Judith mid-conversation as he bounced her on his hip while moving about the kitchen putting clean dishes away with one hand.

"...is that so?" She giggled which made him laugh, then they both looked up once they heard the door close. "Look who it is," he exclaimed for Judith's sake. His smile began to fade, though, as soon as he noticed the white bandage wrapped around her right bicep.

"What happened to you?"

"I fell," she said simply as she made her way over to them.

"Off the horse?" he asked with growing concern.

"Mommy boo boo?" Judith questioned in a plaintive little voice as she pointed to the bandage.

"No, baby," Michonne reassured her. "I just tripped on some branches. Got scraped up in the brush."

Rick's eyes moved from her head to her toes then back up again as he surveyed her for other injuries. Aside from the arm, she looked fine physically, but tired and flatter than she usually was when she came home from a trip.

"You OK? You have the doctor take a look at it?"

She shook her head and held her arms out as she stepped next to him. He passed Judith over to her, and the little girl's attention went immediately to the bandaged spot on her arm, gently fussing over it with her little hands.

"There wasn't anything to look at. I just cleaned it up and covered it." Michonne smoothed her hand over Judith's golden curls and pressed a kiss to her forehead then rested her chin atop her head. "How were things at home today?"

"Fine. Quiet," he answered as he continued eyeing her. She didn't even look up or acknowledge his answer. "The Kingdom?" he asked after a beat.

"Yeah. Fine," she said distractedly before managing to glance up at him. "Uh, everybody's doing well. They say hello."

He furrowed his brow as he waited again for her to elaborate like she normally would, but she was quiet as she lowered her chin to her daughter's head again.

"And your meeting?" he prompted.

"You mind if we talk about it later?" she asked before giving him a weak smile to soften her request. "I'm exhausted. Just want to get cleaned up."

"Sure," he said nodding slowly. He looked around him, feeling a bit helpless. He wanted to do something to make her feel better even if he didn't know what was wrong. "I'll heat up dinner while you shower," he decided.

"I'm not hungry. I'll take her up with me and put her down."

"OK."

She leaned in to give him a peck on the cheek, then turned and went upstairs where she gave Judith a bath and read her a bedtime story while rocking her to sleep in the old wooden rocking chair in the corner of her room that they rarely used anymore.

After putting her daughter to bed and taking a long hot shower, Michonne found herself ending the day in the same place she had started it. She stood in front of the bathroom mirror, wrapped in a fluffy white towel with her eyes fixed on the reflection of her right arm. They were just a few superficial scratches that didn't even call for a bandage any longer. She had no fever or signs of infection. _It's nothing_ she tried to tell herself, _but it could have been_ she'd think immediately after. She turned away from the mirror and hung her towel on the back of the door then walked over to her dresser. She opted for a long sleeved white henley and a pair of Rick's light blue boxers she had taken as her own.

She turned off all of the lights save for his bedside lamp and slipped into bed. She rolled onto her side, facing away from Rick's empty side of the bed, and forced her eyes shut trying not to think anymore about her close call. Within an hour or so, she heard him enter their room, quietly padding around the space while he got ready for bed. The light flicked off, then she felt the dip of the bed followed by his warm breath and a kiss on her cheek, then silence which gave way to light snoring within a few minutes. As soon as she knew he was asleep, she turned the covers down and carefully slipped out of bed then headed downstairs. _Just in case_.


	5. Chapter 5

_It's not often you see Michonne getting the blame for her actions. Usually it's her other half. Lol. Sorry this update is so short, pacing wise it just felt like it stood on it's own. Thanks for reading._

Michonne sat on the couch in the dark living room staring into the empty fireplace as all of the choices she'd made lately passed through her mind. _What if I had taken the car?_ The fuel supply is dwindling and cars will become obsolete soon, so if not today, this could have happened in a few weeks when there is no alternative anymore. _What if I stayed home instead?_ Rick can't do this alone, and we have nothing if we don't have a safe community. _What if I was pregnant?_ No matter how much I want to, I couldn't continue doing what I do. _What if I was really scratched today?_

Before she could let herself go there, she heard Rick coming down the stairs like she knew he would sooner or later. He sat down next to her on the couch, and focused on the same spot across the room that she seemed to be staring at. He remained silent in her presence and left an arm's length between them, giving her the space she had sought.

"I fell because I had a run in with some walkers in the woods when I stopped for water," she explained quietly as she continued staring straight ahead. "I wasn't sure where the scratches came from."

"When did it happen?" He clenched his teeth, purposely trying to keep the worry inside him from spreading into his voice and across his face in order to keep her talking.

"Mid-morning."

He glanced down at his watch which read 3:30 AM, and felt instantly relieved. "Then you should be in the clear by now."

"Yeah," she agreed, though she didn't seem relieved at all.

He watched her for a moment where she sat on the couch, curled up in their straw colored throw blanket, still staring ahead.

"There are people who will be able to live the rest of their lives behind walls," she started quietly, finally breaking the silence. "Safe, normal lives with their families."

"That's not us."

It was one of the most depressing admissions he could make, yet when she finally looked at him, she seemed almost heartened by it; relieved that he had come to the very same conclusion she had about their life

"No. What were we thinking?"

"We had a run of good days," Rick said with a sigh, "and we let ourselves start to hope. It's human. It's what makes us different from people like Negan and the Governor. We had a bad one today, and it gave us both a good scare."

Michonne's eyes widened as she placed her hand on his leg. "I thought you said everything was OK. What happened?"

"Nothing happened," he assured her as he placed his hand over hers. "Negan just has a way of making me feel like I don't have it all figured out."

MIchonne nodded, knowing all too well how their prisoner continued to use his words to get under their skin since it was the only power he had now. Today was a reminder that the world still wasn't perfect, and never would be no matter how far they came.

"I think we should stop trying," she said after a few moments of silence, her voice almost a whisper.

She watched as Rick swallowed hard and nodded without any trace of disapproval on his face.

"Yeah, I think that's probably for the best. For now."

She nodded, comforted by the fact that they were on the same page even if it was for something that was dashing one of the dreams for their life together.

"What are we going to do if I'm already pregnant?"

Rick looked up, and gave her a small smile as he breathed out a short laugh. "Michonne, you already said I was crazy for thinking that this morning," he reminded her.

"But we tried. There's still a chance."

"We'll know in a couple of weeks, right? And if you are, then things are really going to have to change around here. At least for a little while." His tone was firm for the first time this evening. He had never been one to tell her what to do, but he was making it clear that what she did today couldn't go on.

"I know," she said solemnly. "I know. That's what scares me the most. At some point, I won't be able to help you keep this place safe. Instead, I'll become a burden. One more thing for you to worry about."

"Michonne…you think that's something I didn't consider at the start? You will never be a burden. Yes, you're going to have to scale back on your duties for a little while, but I know you'll still be with me. You'll still be runnin' the show, even if it is from inside this house," he said as he cracked a smile.

"Community affairs isn't your strong point," she pointed out as she started to grin.

"Like I said, you'll still be with me," he said as he shrugged his shoulders. He could always count on her to balance him out and let him know where he stood. "Nothing has changed in the week since we decided it was safe enough to try. No new threats or problems. So if it turns out we're having a baby, we're going to embrace it. I don't want nine months of worry and fear for us. And if we don't, we're going to embrace that, as well."

Michonne blinked back tears, as she agreed with a breathy _yeah._ For all of the times she had been his rock, he was hers in this moment; giving his strength when hers was wavering. She shifted toward him, closing the gap between them on the couch, and he welcomed her into his arms. All they could do was wait.


	6. Chapter 6

"Are you OK?" Carl asked as he passed Michonne on his way out of the kitchen just as she was walking in.

"Yeah," was all she could manage to get out before pressing her lips together tightly to stifle the wave of nausea that resurfaced the minute she opened her mouth.

She made it into the kitchen and over to the far counter where the plan was to make a piece of toast for breakfast, but her stomach was not on board, and she instead found herself gripping the counter, closing her eyes, and inhaling deeply hoping the sick feeling would pass. She felt a strong hand at the base of her neck and the sound of a glass being set on the counter in front of her.

"Hang in there," Rick whispered into her ear while squeezing her upper back affectionately as he passed by.

She opened her eyes to find a glass of cold water sitting in front of her. This would be breakfast for the third morning in a row. She picked it up and took a small sip then headed toward the table where Judith was buckled into her high chair and happy munching on torn bits of toast with butter and jelly. Her eyes lit up as her mother settled into the seat next to her.

"Mommy eat?" she asked cheerfully as she offered her a bite of her mushy toast soaked through with purple jelly.

"No, baby," Michonne said sweetly, trying to smile instead of cringe at the thought. "But thank you for sharing."

Judith thought nothing of it, and shoved said piece of toast into her mouth instead, enjoying the sweet breakfast treat her father had made her that morning.

"I already arranged for someone to cover your shifts today," Rick said as he walked into the living room where Carl was lounging on the couch with a cup of coffee and his feet propped on the coffee table as if he was the man of the house. "And there's lunch and dinner ready in the fridge. All you have to do is heat it up."

Carl looked up from his coffee mid-sip, and peered at his father from over the edge of his mug.

"You act like this is the first time I've ever watched her."

"First time in a while," Rick clarified since Carl had been spending more time working out in the community for the past year. "And thank you for doing this," Rick added before turning to head back into the kitchen.

Carl nodded back, then called out after him. "If you're taking a car, I still don't get why Judith and me can't tag along. I'd like to see everyone."

Rick turned and furrowed his brow. "You just saw Enid last week."

"I said _everyone_. Maggie, Hershel," Carl began to illustrate his point, "Abe..."

"Not today, son. It's just a quick trip."

"Fine," Carl relented as he slumped further into the couch. "But you owe me."

"Right," Rick scoffed under his breath as he continued on to the kitchen.

* * *

"Rick! Michonne! I didn't expect you today," Dr. Carson called out with a wave as he spotted them climbing out of the van they'd parked just inside the gates. He made a detour in their direction to meet up with them. "You meeting with Gregory? I was just headed up that way."

Michonne grinned at him as she shut the car door behind her and walked up to him. "No, we were actually hoping to see you if you have some time."

"Of course. Gregory can wait," he said waving off the main house in the distance. "Come with me."

"Thank you," Rick said as he came around the front of the van. "We appreciate you fitting us in."

"Anytime," Dr. Carson said with a smile as he started ahead of them toward the medical trailer. "How's my favorite patient doing?" he asked over his shoulder before an embarrassed look flashed across his face as he remembered that she was no longer his youngest little patient. "I guess I shouldn't say that anymore."

Rick and Michonne grinned at each other before she responded. "She's doing great. Those molars finally came in so she's back to her sweet self."

"That's good to hear," he said as he opened the door and welcomed them in, gesturing to the two folding chairs in front of his desk. "Have a seat."

He walked around his desk, and sat down in his chair then smiled while looking back and forth between the two of them expectantly, unsure of which one was the patient. "What can I do for you today?"

"Well..." Michonne looked to Rick as she hesitated for a moment and was met with a small encouraging nod. "I think I might be pregnant. I've been nauseous for the past week and my period is just as late, so I took a test. It came out negative, but that doesn't seem right to me considering how I feel."

"With good reason," he said with that knowing grin of a doctor who had heard this story at least a few times before. "Almost all of the tests left out there would be expired by now, so a false negative wouldn't surprise me. Luckily, we've got this," he said tossing his thumb back over his shoulder to the ultrasound machine behind him, "so I can take a look and let you know for sure. And if that's not it, we'll figure out what's going on."

"I was hoping so."

"Why don't you have a seat on the exam table?"

He stood from his seat and turned to ready the machine while Rick and Michonne stood, as well; Rick let her pass by him then steadied his hand on the small of her back as she took the few steps over to the exam table and stepped up to have a seat. The fresh paper crinkled underneath her as she shifted into place, and Rick walked around to the other side of the table so that he could watch the monitor along with her. As she reclined on the table, he rested his arm along the top edge over her head and smiled down at her, reinforcing what he'd said to her just a few weeks ago. _No matter what, they would embrace it._ She pulled her tank up over her still flat belly, then nervously grasped the edge of the table with one hand and reached for his with the other.

"When was your last period?" Dr. Carson asked as he squeezed the cool gel over her lower abdomen.

"Around the fifth of last month," Michonne answered. Her head was turned, and her eyes were already focused on the blank screen.

She involuntarily sucked in a breath as he placed the transducer on her abdomen. He turned his back to them slightly to face the screen, then began to move it around to find the image that would give them the answer they were looking for. A loud familiar whurring sound filled the silence in the room, and within a few seconds, an image flashed on the screen that was unmistakable to Rick and Michonne. At the sight of the little grey blur nestled in the curve of the dark hole, she felt Rick's hand tighten around hers. Her breaths became deep, and the image on the screen blurred as tears filled her eyes. She blinked rapidly, feeling a few begin to stream down her cheek, then looked up at Rick to find him swiping at his eye with the back of his index finger. His lips twitched slightly, then turned into a closed mouth grin as he inhaled deeply through his nose.

"Well, it looks like an early, but viable intrauterine pregnancy. About 6 weeks along if I had to guess," Dr. Carson said aloud as he studied the image and gave his reading on the spot before turning to address them with a smile. "All that means is you're having a baby. Congratulations."

Judging by their faces, it was clear to him that they had already come to that conclusion. Rick and Michonne were best known for being the unparalleled duo who were not only leaders in Alexandria, but across all of the communities. They had a reputation for being two of the fiercest warriors around, but he knew them best as little Judith Grimes's adoring parents who accompanied her to doctor's visits together and doted over her when she was sick or upset after her shots. In both his professional and personal opinion, this was one lucky baby. He smiled to himself then wiped the gel off of Michonne's stomach and pressed a few buttons on the machine to save the recording.

'I'm gonna step out to give you two a moment," he said quietly as he began to move toward the door. "Take your time. I'll finish up the exam when you're ready."

As soon as the door shut, both Rick and Michonne released breaths they didn't even know they were holding. She sat up on the table and he bent down to wrap his arms around her shoulders while she slid her arms around his waist and buried her face into his chest and pulled him closer. They held each other tightly for what seemed like forever, just allowing themselves to enjoy this moment.

* * *

"You went from not letting anyone touch him to trying to pawn him off on me every chance you get," Jesus argued as he crossed his arms across his chest and withdrew from the baby that was being held out in front of him.

"I asked you to hold him once so I could tie my shoe," Maggie corrected as she drew little Hershel back against her chest while she and Jesus walked down the sloping green hill that led from the main house to the perimeter.

"And I offered to tie your shoe instead," he said with a cheeky grin.

"Jesus," Maggie muttered under her breath at his excuses.

"I'm not a kid person."

She looked at him and shook her head, then noticed two familiar faces over his shoulder. Rick and Michonne were walking down the steps of the medical trailer, his arm wrapped around her waist and their faces turned toward each other as they spoke with smiles on their faces.

"Hey!" she called out. Rick and Michonne were startled out of their close hold at the sound of their names, and when they found Maggie waving them down, they broke apart and walked toward her.

"Rick and Michonne hold him," she said to Jesus as they approached.

Maggie illustrated her point by wordlessly offering Hershel up to Rick who took him into his arms without question and began to bounce him gently before they had even exchanged greetings. Maggie and Michonne smiled while Jesus rolled his eyes.

"Because they have kids," he groaned before addressing their unexpected company. "What are you two doing here?"

Before Michonne could even think about it, Rick was answering for them. "Oh, I needed to get something checked out by Dr. Carson...everything's fine," he added as he saw Maggie's eyes grow big with worry.

"Good," she said with a nod before glancing over at Michonne to see if her demeanor supported what he said. She just stood by his side, as cool as always, glancing down at the baby in Rick's arms every once in a while.

"Yeah," Rick said with a nod. "Where are you three off to?"

"To the armory we're building," Jesus replied. "I wanted her input since she's got more experience with weapons than almost everyone else here. Actually since the two of you are here, I'd love yours, as well."

"Can't today," Rick answered quickly without even conferring with Michonne. "We've gotta get back to Alexandria, but you're in good hands with Maggie."

He shifted the baby in his arms and stepped in close to Jesus, giving him no choice, but to accept the baby into his arms. Little Hershel's legs were dangling as Jesus held one arm under his back and one over his chest. Maggie and Michonne looked at each other and tried to stifle their laughs as they watched Rick position his arms. "Elbow up. Be sure to support his head. There you go," he said once the baby was secured in his arms.

"We'll see you soon," Rick said as he clapped his hand against Jesus's shoulder, leaving him high and dry with the kid.

He leaned in to give Maggie a hug, promising to see them in a couple of weeks for a proper visit, followed by Michonne. Once they said they goodbyes, he and Michonne continued on their way back to the car.

"What the hell was that?" Michonne whispered once they were a few yards away.

"Just wanna make sure Maggie's got the support she needs...plus I still enjoy makin' him sweat every chance I get considering our history," he added with a smirk.

* * *

Rick walked into their bedroom to find Michonne, fresh from the shower with her swept up into a bun and wearing her favorite light blue robe, standing beside their bed folding a basket of clean laundry.

"How you feeling?"

"Like myself finally," she said with a smile as she tossed one of his folded t-shirts onto the pile of his clothes on the bed.

His face lit up upon hearing her say that, not only because he was happy to hear that she was feeling well for the first time all day, but also with a little for his own selfish hope that she was intimating that she was up for being intimate.

"That's good," he said as he walked over to her.

His fingernails had a thick crusting of dirt around them, and his shirt was still damp with sweat from the work he'd done in the garden once they'd arrived home. He reached out to put his hands around her waist, but she turned to dodge his dirty hands and offered her cheek to receive a kiss instead. He obliged, but purposely stayed close to her, teasing her with the threat of his filthy embrace at any moment, and loving every second of it.

"You know, I was thinking I could just switch to night shifts for the next month or two until the morning sickness goes away."

And with that, his face fell when he heard her plans. "Michonne," he chided.

"It makes sense. I should do what I can when I can."

He stepped away from her and put his hands on his hips and tilted his head to one side, unable to believe they were going to have this conversation again. "That's not the kind of change you need to be making."

"Rick," she chided right back as she dropped the little sundress she had just folded onto the stack of Judith's clothes.

"You still need to sleep," he urged as he nodded down at her belly. "Keep yourself healthy for your and the baby's sake."

"I'll sleep during the day."

"No you won't," he countered with a disbelieving smile, calling her on her own bullshit.

She began to smile, knowing full well that she would work all night, then stay up most of the day because missing out on time with her family wasn't something she'd be able to do.

"You're right," she admitted begrudgingly.

"See?" He asked as he stepped in close to her and slid his hand inside the break in her robe and onto the bare skin of her stomach. "You think I don't know what I'm talkin' about, but I've been right about everything so far. That pillow?" He nodded toward the pillow he'd insisted she put under her legs the first night they tried to get pregnant.

"Oh, so you're taking credit for this?" she asked through a laugh as she glanced up to look at his face where his chin was resting on her shoulder.

"It worked, didn't it?" He asked as he slipped his hand out of her robe and yanked at the loose knot that held it together causing the fabric to billow loosely over her. "And I called that you were pregnant when that test didn't," he whispered into her ear before placing a kiss on her cheek before trailing down her neck. He slid the collar of her robe off of her shoulder so that he could continue his trail of kisses.

"Oh my God," she breathed out through a laugh as she brought her hand to her forehead, amused by his cockiness and growing increasingly aroused by his touch.

He stopped kissing her for just a moment to pull his head back and catch a glimpse of her face.

"Just stick with me, I know what I'm doing," he said with a wide smile that caused her to smile even wider.


	7. Chapter 7

I was going to end this story after the last chapter, but I started to have fun thinking up things that could happen during Michonne's pregnancy. I decided to add a few updates to check in on them at various points along the way.

 **16 Weeks**

"Shit."

Michonne laid flat on the bed with her legs hanging over the edge and her fingers gripping each side of the waistband of her unbuttoned black skinny jeans. She inhaled sharply and quickly tried to join the two sides again, but lost her breath a few seconds into the struggle, and felt her belly rise again as she exhaled, widening the gap between the button and the hole on the other side.

Rick walked out of the bathroom just in time to see her drop her hands to the bed and sigh loudly, exasperated as she looked at the basket of maternity clothes sitting in the corner of their room. He had brought home everything he could find at a maternity store he'd come across on a run a couple weeks ago, but she hadn't so much as tried on a single item yet.

"I think today's the day," he announced from the doorway of the bathroom as he watched her.

She looked to him and then to the basket full of clothing options, a jumbled mess of khaki and pastels. She shook her head and positioned her hands on the waistband to try just one more time.

"They still fit me perfectly everywhere else," she insisted. She didn't have to see him to know that he was judging her for stubbornly clinging to her skinny jeans.

"Stay put, OK?"

He disappeared into the bathroom for a moment, then re-emerged twirling one of Judith's elastic hair ties around his finger. Michonne began to laugh as he sat down on the bed next to her and began to loop the band through the buttonhole. Her recently _popped_ , but still barely there belly shook up and down as she laughed.

"You're not making this easy on me, you know," he griped, playfully shooting her a look before returning to the task of trying to rig her jeans for her.

"I'm sorry."

She bit down on her lip and tried to stay still so that he could attach it. She took the moment to admire him, sitting there in his boxers, leaned over her belly with the same focused look he wore when drawing up plans or doing work on the walls, only this was just to buy her at least one more day in her favorite pants. He wrapped the other end of the hair tie around the button and looped it twice then tugged on the middle to check the integrity of his contraption. She watched as he pursed his lips, apparently satisfied with it. He then patted her belly with his hand and bent down to leave a light kiss just over her navel.

"So handy." She marveled at the simple device holding her jeans in place then she pushed herself back up to a seated position. "Thank you," she said as she leaned in to give him a peck on the lips.

"Mmm...Let's see if it holds first," he cautioned as he pulled away.

He reached for the jeans he had laid out on the bed and began to slip them on as he watched her stand up to try it out. The jeans were holding just fine, but the skin tight tank top she wore was riding up over her belly thanks to the extra girth and failing to cover the unsightly fix. She looked down and frowned, then wasted no time peeling the tank top off of her and throwing it on to the bed.

Rick pouted empathetically like the good partner he was while also taking a moment to appreciate the swell in her cleavage like the man that he was. His empathy quickly dissipated, though, when she snagged the denim shirt that he'd planned to wear off the bed.

"Hey!"

She slipped an arm into each sleeve, and began to snap the buttons closed as she walked over to the mirror beside their dresser to assess her outfit.

"You have a whole closet full of clothes that fit you," she countered as she gathered the tail of the shirt in her hand to knot it behind her, leaving just enough slack so that it skimmed over her belly. "I don't."

"You know, if I didn't love you…"

He got up and walked over the the closet which held no less than a dozen shirts that he often neglected in favor of his white t-shirt's and the denim shirt she was now wearing. If anyone could understand her attachment to her favorite piece of clothing, he supposed it was him.

"If you didn't love me, what?" she asked with a smirk as she rolled up her sleeves while watching him.

"Nothin'," he replied glumly as he pulled out a blue plaid shirt he'd worn exactly one time since they'd arrived in Alexandria.

* * *

"Well, well, well, look who it is…"

Maggie twisted the green stems in her grip and tugged hard, unearthing the beets from the ground. She wiped her dirty hand on the side of her jeans then used the back of her wrist the brush her bangs out of her face as she stood turned to see who Jesus was talking about. Off in the distance, she spotted Rick and Michonne walking down the steps of Dr. Carson's medical trailer as they had been doing quite frequently over the past few months.

"Wonder what's _wrong_ with Rick today?" she snarked.

As she watched them, she noted Michonne's uncharacteristic choice of shirts, and wondered if today would be the day they finally confirmed what she and Jesus had suspected for a while now.

"Only one way to find out…"

He stuck his thumb and forefinger between his lips and blew hard creating a loud whistle that caught their attention. He flagged them over with a wave and grinned at Maggie as they approached.

"What'd you do now, Rick?" Jesus called out once they were close enough.

"I, uh…" Rick's mind cycled through the most recent reasons he'd used: check up, stomach flu, sprained thumb, ingrown toenail. Even though Michonne had gotten a clean bill of health at every visit and made it into the second trimester with no problem, she kept putting off sharing the news, and he was willing to deflect for her sake. "Ingrown toenail."

"Again?" Jesus asked in disbelief.

"The other one this time," Rick said with a convincing nod.

Jesus made a _hmph_ sound as he crossed his arms and looked down at Rick's boots then up at Michonne's belly, looking for signs of growth. An awkward silence fell over the four of them; Jesus and Maggie hoping Rick and Michonne would finally fold, and Rick and Michonne hoping they wouldn't get anymore questions.

"I like your top," Maggie said finally as she pointed at Michonne's midsection. "Looks comfy."

Michonne looked down and smoothed her hand over the front of her shirt and shook her head modestly. "Oh thanks. It's, uh, not mine. It's Rick's."

"I figured," Maggie said as she looked her directly in the eye, nodding with a knowing smile.

Michonne pressed her lips together and shrugged weakly while looking down at the ground to avoid Maggie's stare. She placed her hands on her hips and rocked back on her heels, waiting for Rick to jump in and help her out again.

"Those are some good lookin' beets," he finally said after a few second pause that felt like an eternity.

"Yeah." Maggie looked down at the vegetables in her hand then back at him. "You know, Rick, I'm startin' to worry about you. Gettin' sick left and right lately," she said bringing the focus back right where she wanted it.

"No need to be," he said with a dismissive wave.

"You sure?" she prodded. "Because if you need to stay here for a while to take care of things, I'm sure Jesus and me could cover Alexandria for a bit."

Michonne glanced at Rick. His lips were parted and frozen in place. He looked like he was tongue tied, trying to explain away his recent ailments without blowing their cover. Michonne placed her hand on his wrist, and gave him a small nod.

"It's me," she started. "I'm pregnant."

"I knew it!" Jesus exclaimed.

Even though they had long since figured it out, Maggie's eyes went wide with genuine surprise at hearing the actual words, and her hands flew up to her mouth to cover it.

"Are you serious?" she asked through her fingers.

"Yeah." Michonne gave her a sweet smile and looked up at Rick. "Sixteen weeks," she confirmed.

"Oh my God, ya'll!"

She stepped forward and threw her arms around Michonne, gathering her into a tight hug. When she finally release her, she stood there shaking her head in amazement as she looked at Michonne and grabbed Rick's hand in hers to congratulate him.

"You and your group are going to single-handedly repopulate the earth," Jesus quipped good naturedly as he thought of Baby Hershel and Sasha and Abraham's baby boy who was due any day now. "But seriously, congratulations you two."

"Thanks," Rick said sincerely as he reached out to shake his hand. "We're gonna need a daycare with all these babies bein' born. Might be a good job for you since I know how good you are with them," he teased.

"Try again," Jesus said with a roll of his eyes.

* * *

"I'm glad it's finally out there."

His words were accompanied by a hand on her knee. She opened her eyes and lifted her head off of the glass of the passenger side window where she had nodded off a few minutes into their drive back home.

"Me too," she said as she covered his hand with hers and turned her head to look at him.

"Carl and Judith next?" He asked, though, it was more of a statement then a question.

"Yeah. And as far as they're concerned, they're the first to know," she added.

He nodded, knowing that he and Michonne would never hear the end of it if they found out they weren't. Times like these, lack of long distance communication was actually a blessing.

"We'll sit 'em down, and tell 'em tonight."

"You think they're going to be OK with it?" she asked.

"Judith? No problem," he said easily. "Carl?"

He trailed off, drumming his fingers against the steering wheel as he took another moment to consider his response.

"That's what I'm worried about. I could see it going either way with him," she admitted. "Honestly, he's the reason I kept putting off telling anyone."

Rick drew in a deep breath and squeezed her knee a little tighter. "Well," he started. "He's had a bad experience, but so have I and so have you. If he's worried or upset, he's got every reason to be. But I can't imagine he wouldn't come around eventually. That's just who he is."

"That's what I'm counting on."

She knew that boy's heart so well, and his optimism in the face of adversity was always something she admired about him.

"Besides, whatever his reaction is tonight, it'll be better than waiting long enough for him to figure it out on his own and confront us."

"Very true," she said with a chuckle. "Silver lining."

"It's something, right?"

"Right."

The grin stayed on her face, and he hand stayed on his as they grew quiet again. She leaned her head against the window, thinking she would catch a few more minutes of sleep until she saw a familiar street sign up ahead.

"Hey," she said as she tapped on his hand. "Can you turn off up there?"

"You gotta pee again?" he asked, sensing the urgency in her voice.

"No." She rolled her eyes at his seeming lack of patience with her pregnant bladder, although, she had to admit that she could definitely go if they did stop. "Isn't that strip mall with the maternity store off of Crook Road?"

"Yeah, but I told you, I cleared it out. There's nothing left."

"You said there was a western wear store next to it, right?"

He turned his head slowly to look at her. His brow was furrowed so deeply that it made his eyes look like they were practically closed.

"You wanna go to the western wear store?"

"Well, I figured you might want to go because you're gonna need a new denim shirt."

She smiled at him innocently as she straightened the collar of her very comfortable new maternity shirt that was just her style. He huffed out a laugh and shook his head at her; there was no way she could bat her eyes or smile pretty enough to make him give up his shirt.

"No, I think we're gonna need to get _you_ a new shirt."

She tilted her head and shook it, grinning at how mistaken he was. "But the baby is so comfortable in it."

"Don't," he warned. "Don't even."

He was a strong man, but she had played her trump card. As he hung a right onto Crook Road, he resigned himself to fact that he would indeed be the one buying a new shirt today.


End file.
